‘Imelda Marcos International Airport’

By Alex P. Vidal

“Sir, I am no sycophant or whorshipper of power anywhere.”—Benjamin F. Wade.

THE Filipinos are perhaps the only people in the world who have the penchant to play a sipsip (sycophantic) role each time a new national leadership takes over.

Never mind if they end up like stupid and, in the process, expose themselves as deficient in ideas and downright morons.

The most important is when these ass-lickers exhibit their harebrained intentions, “message sent”; meaning, “bahala na if ma consider or not importante sikat tayo sa presidente.” (Whether it will be considered doesn’t matter anymore; what’s important is the president will notice us.)

They have different styles and gimmicks to attract the attention of whoever is in power.

Pa-sipsip first before public service. Selfish self-interest first before taong bayan. Nothing has changed.

Never mind if the more important matters or legislations that will address the basic problems and needs of the people will be distracted and sidestepped, as long as the ruffians’ malevolent agenda will pole vault into the front row.

And now that Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is the new Philippine president, some legislators, especially the controversial solon from Negros, want to rename the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Ferdinand E. Marcos International Airport.

-o0o-

Because there is a law that prohibits the naming of public properties, highways and edifices to someone who is still alive, the flatterers couldn’t dangle the name of former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos, who is the sip-sips’ actual target.

Thus, they picked the name of the late former strongman in a hope to tantalize the effervescent 93-year-old mother of the current president known internationally as “Imeldific.”

Mrs. Marcos loves his family so dearly, and any move to place them or their names in the pedestal, of course, is tantamount to showing a lavish homage to the First Family’s matriarch herself.

This is, of course, an absurd idea—a myopic priority that should not have been brought up by normal public servants even in a casual discussion, to begin with.

But with the kind of political culture and skullduggery that prevail in the thinking of lousy politicians like the ones who set up and abetted the proposed naming of the international airport, it’s not far-fetched that Pizzaro will once again succeed in conquering Atahuapla under the present dispensation.

-o0o-

TEN YEARS AGO (July 7, 2010), I watched the 2010 FIFA World Cup final between Germany and Spain together with Vancouver City Mayor Greg Robertson and other soccer fans in a giant screen erected in the street of Granville in Vancouver, British Columbia.

After Spain bundled out The Netherlands, 2-0, I joined the street celebration with the young Spanish fans. Time flies so fast.

Germany finished third while Uruguay finished fourth.

The matches were played in 10 stadiums in South Africa from June 11 until July 11 in nine host cities around the country, with the opening and final played at the Soccer City stadium in South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg.

Thirty-two teams were selected for participation via a worldwide qualification tournament that began in August 2007.

In the first round of the tournament finals, the teams competed in round-robin groups of four teams for points, with the top two teams in each group proceeding.

These 16 teams advanced to the knockout stage, where three rounds of play decided which teams would participate in the final.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)